The Trades Show

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Béatrice Amblard, the only Hermès-trained leather artisan in the US working under her own label and the founder of April in Paris and Heirloom Leathercraft, inside her San Francisco atelier. Their conversation traces nearly five decades in leather — from the moment a sixteen-year-old Béatrice, steered toward the trades by a Fr...

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Amanda Luu, florist, founder of Studio Mondine, and a lifelong student of Ikenobo Ikebana, inside her San Francisco home. Their conversation traces Amanda's circuitous path into flowers — from a degree in economics and environmental policy and a career in marketing, to the ten-minute commutes she spent gathering leaves and gra...

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Jefferson Mack, a self-taught architectural blacksmith with a 50-year career, inside his San Francisco workshop. Their conversation spans nearly five decades of making — from the Eric Sloane book that planted the seed when Jefferson was a child, to a self-taught path that wound through scrap-yard forges in his mother's bac...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Stuart Brioza, James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of State Bird Provisions, The Progress, and The Anchovy Bar, inside The Progress restaurant in San Francisco. Their conversation traces Stuart's path from dishwasher at fifteen to leading three of the city's most celebrated restaurants — and explores what it m...

Host Briana Ottoboni introduces season two of The Trades Show, filmed on location with artisans in San Francisco, and explains why the rise of AI and the return to analog craftsmanship are happening at the same time. She shares her Bay Area background, her first encounter with shoe cobbling that sparked her passion for artisan trades, and her concern about who carries these crafts forward as older...

Meet the artisans keeping craft alive in the age of AI. Season 2 of The Trades Show takes you inside the workshops of San Francisco's most skilled tradespeople — from bladesmiths to chefs — exploring why handcraft matters more than ever. New episodes coming soon. Follow The Trades Show for stories of mastery, tradition, and the human hands shaping our world. #TheTrades #Artisan #SkilledTrades...

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Sarah Larson, founder of Often Wander, inside Sarah's studio, which is also set to become a storefront. They discuss the nuances of crafting scents through candle making, the journey from managing two retail stores to focusing on e-commerce, and the struggles and rewards of saying no to misaligned opportunities. Sarah shares h...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Marcia Trattner , blacksmith, sculptor, and founder of She-Weld , inside her Brooklyn, NY workshop. Their conversation explores Marcia’s 35-year journey with metal — from her early days in biology and fine art to discovering blacksmithing as both a trade and an artistic language. She shares how sculpture, teaching, collaborat...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Cynthia Alberto — a weaver, multidisciplinary artist, and founder of Weaving Hand — inside the Fridman Gallery in New York City. Cynthia shares her remarkable journey from a career in computer science at Merrill Lynch to becoming a full-time artist with her work now featured at MoMA. Along the way, she opens up about how weav...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni sits down with Frank Beneduci , American bootmaker and founder of Beneduci Shoe Design & Instruction, inside his San Francisco workshop. Their conversation traces Frank’s journey from growing up in Brockton, Massachusetts — once the shoemaking capital of America — to leaving a successful career in advertising to carry forward his family...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni sits down with MaryMar Keenan , ceramicist and founder of MMClay , in her storefront and studio in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Their conversation explores MaryMar’s 30-year journey in ceramics —from discovering her love for clay to building one of San Francisco’s most recognized handmade tableware brands. She shares her philosophy on funct...

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni sits down with leatherworker Ian James , in his namesake brand’s retail space and workshop in San Francisco, California. Their conversation unpacks Ian's journey from dropping out of Parsons to launching his own label and opening a retail space in San Francisco. Ian shares insights into the day-to-day life of a leatherworker, the challenges...

In this episode of The Trades Show , host Briana Ottoboni visits the Oakland-based studio of Lindsay Knox , jewelry designer and founder of Ladha, for an intimate conversation on craft, identity, and the realities of building a handmade business. Together, they explore Lindsay’s journey from corporate retail burnout to creating heirloom-inspired pieces by hand. She shares how motherhood, heritage,...

In this episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni visits Avedano’s, a beloved butcher shop in San Francisco, to sit down with Angela Wilson, butcher and small business owner, for a conversation on craft butchery and the future of our food system. Together, they explore Angela’s journey from restaurant kitchens and martial arts to running a neighborhood butcher shop rooted in sustainability...

In the premiere episode of The Trades Show, host Briana Ottoboni visits the wood shop of Luis Peña, furniture designer and woodworker behind Peña Made, to explore his creative journey from graphic design and filmmaking to handcrafted furniture. Together, they discuss storytelling through objects, the power of a beginner’s mindset, building a business rooted in craft, and the deeper meaning behind...

Before the algorithm, before assembly lines, before 2-day shipping, there was the maker. (It wasn't that long ago). The Trades Show is a return to modern craftwork—a conversation series with artisans that is part documentary, part love letter to those working not against the grain, but in rhythm with traditions we’ve nearly forgotten. Hosted by Briana Ottoboni. Coming June 26.